BY GUS MORGAN

The four ConocoPhillips employees discovered the lone hiker on a narrow part of the Guadalupe Peak Trail, disoriented and anxious, weakened by the intense heat and sun.

“I talked to him and let him know who I was,” said Delaware Basin East Land Supervisor Brandon Beversdorf, who was descending from the summit of Guadalupe Peak with co-workers Drew Fletcher, Nick Moore and Ephraim Schofield when they encountered the ailing hiker. 

“You seem like you're in trouble,” Brandon told the man, who appeared to be suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. “I'm going to take your pulse and check on you.”

On this sweltering June day, the temperature topping 100 degrees, it was a dangerous time to be hiking without sufficient water, snacks and frequent rest breaks on Texas’ highest mountain.

Soon after the ConocoPhillips employees encountered the distressed hiker, the man lost consciousness.

As a former ICU Transport Team member and respiratory therapist, Brandon took control of the situation.

“I tried to get him to wake up,” Brandon said, “but he was just kind of out of it. He wasn't really interacting with us.”

They propped up the hiker, removed his shoes and started cooling and rehydrating the ailing man, pouring water on him and getting him to drink water.

When other hikers would pass by the group, Brandon and his companions would ask them for their spare water, as the rescuers' supply had dwindled.

“We would take some of that water and just start cooling him off because his body wasn't cooling itself,” Brandon said. “His pulse was rapid, he wasn't sweating, and his mucous membranes were really dry. I could tell he was nauseous sometimes with the water, and I was also concerned about his airway because he wasn't swallowing that well.”

Passing hikers also gave them Gatorade, but Brandon diluted it with water, cautious not to give the ailing hiker too much at once.  

“I didn't want him throwing up,” Brandon said. “I wanted to get as much water into him as we could allow.”

Brandon administered first aid for several hours and directed other hikers to contact emergency services, both by phone and when they reached the nearest ranger station.

“There were several moments where he had this sense of impending doom,” Brandon said, “saying he's going to die, and he’d kind of nod off.”

But after getting enough water into the man, Brandon said the hiker started to become more alert, with more life in his eyes. The rescuers turned to getting him down the mountain.

As Drew headed down the mountain to get help, Brandon, Nick and Ephraim helped the man to his feet, stabilizing him and holding him up as they started down the mountain, stopping to rest in shade where they could find it.

The group finally made it to the base of the mountain, where emergency services workers and park ranger medics were waiting and took over care. It turned out that the heat-exhausted hiker wasn’t hiking alone, a friend was with him. But after he became ill, the friend left him to get help. Brandon said they learned the hiker’s water bladder had developed a leak, causing him to run out of water on the way to the summit, contributing to his dehydration and overheating. 

For his lifesaving efforts, ConocoPhillips awarded Brandon with a 2023 SPIRIT Award.

“I’m honored to have won the award,” Brandon said, “but I couldn’t have done it without my colleagues.”

Life as a land supervisor

Having recently moved into a land supervisory role, Brandon's Midland-based job entails various tasks, such as managing landmen; planning and budgeting; ensuring drilling obligations are fulfilled on leases; buying, renewing and trading leases; working with the asset team that includes engineers and geologists on how to develop acreage to satisfy lease obligations; collaborating with operations to ensure wells are running; and maintaining relationships with landowners.

Before transitioning into the oil and gas industry, Brandon worked in healthcare, but he decided to switch careers after the long hours led to burnout.

The career change came after his father-in-law asked him, “Have you ever thought about becoming a landman?”

Taking up the challenge, Brandon built up his landman skills over the years, learning that success hinged on building trust with landowners.

He’s fond of a famous painting by Tom Lovell in the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland called “A Trade at Midnight,” which depicts a landman trying to secure a mineral rights deal with a farmer and his family who are sitting around a kitchen table, the deal largely resting on whether the farmer can trust the landman.

While today’s lease deals are done mainly by phone and email instead of in person, Brandon said honesty, fairness and transparency are critical to building rapport with landowners. That bond is vital, Brandon said, as most lease deals these days run around three years, which means landmen often buy the same lease again if the acreage is not developed. 

“It’s important they can trust you,” said Brandon, who grew up in Muleshoe in the Texas Panhandle and later graduated from Ralls High School in Ralls, Texas, home of the Fighting Jackrabbits. His family moved to Midland in the 90s. 

In his spare time, Brandon enjoys hiking, running and fishing. He's also passionate about homebrewing beer, a hobby he picked up from his uncle while living in New Braunfels while attending Texas State University in San Marcos.

“I’m not great at it, but it’s a nice hobby,” he said. “I’ve made stouts and porters, but I’m a big amber guy.”